Dictionary

periphrastic en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˌpɛ.ɹɪˈfɹæ.stɪk/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌpɛ.ɹəˈfɹæ.stɪk/ (Canada, US)

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek περιφραστικός (periphrastikós), from περίφρασις (períphrasis, “periphrasis”).

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Expressed in more words than are necessary.
   • She was simply asked to express how she felt, but her response was periphrastic.
   • He wrote a periphrastic love letter to his wife to patch up their relationship.
   • As poetry it does not measure up to Aasen; as translation it is periphrastic, arbitrary, not at all faithful. 1916, Martin Brown Ruud, An Essay Toward a History of Shakespeare in Norway:
   • That was a way of putting it—not very satisfactory/ A periphrastic study in a worn-out poetical fashion/ Leaving one still with the intolerable wrestle / With words and meanings. 1940, T. S. Eliot, East Coker:
2. (not-comparable) Indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory.
   • In writing, they deem it irreverent to express the Supreme Being [and] in conversation they generally use a periphrastic epithet, such as the All-Good. 1871, Edward Bulwer-Lytton (published anonymously), The Coming Race, Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons:
3. (not-comparable) Characterized by periphrasis.
   • “The daughter of the man” may be used as a periphrastic synonym for “the man’s daughter”.

Forms

Deriveds

nonperiphrastic · unperiphrastic · periphrastically

Relateds

periphrastic conjugation · paraphrastic · periphrase · periphrasis

Translations (37)

hu körülírásos (indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory) · nl perifrastisch (indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory) · pl peryfrastyczny (grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution) · fr périphrastique (grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution) · hu szószaporító (expressed in more words than are necessary) · nl omschrijvend (grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution) · cy periffrastig (grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution) · fr périphrastique (expressed in more words than are necessary) · el περιφραστικός (expressed in more words than are necessary) · ca perifràstic (expressed in more words than are necessary) · pt perifrástico (grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution) · el περιφραστικός (grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution) · pt perifrástico (expressed in more words than are necessary) · bg многословен (expressed in more words than are necessary) · ru иносказа́тельный (indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory) · bg заобиколен (indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory) · nl omschrijvend (expressed in more words than are necessary) · bg описателен (grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution) · es perifrástico (expressed in more words than are necessary) · ru многосло́вный (expressed in more words than are necessary) · fi perifrastinen (grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution) · nl omschrijvend (indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory) · el περιφραστικός (indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory) · bg иносказателен (indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory) · es perifrástico (grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution) · pl peryfrastyczny (indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory) · nl uitvoerig (grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution) · nl perifrastisch (expressed in more words than are necessary) · nl perifrastisch (grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution) · hu körülírással kifejezett/szerkesztett (grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution) · hu körülírásos (grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution) · ca perifràstic (grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution) · nl uitvoerig (indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory) · hu körülírt (grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution) · pl peryfrastyczny (expressed in more words than are necessary) · hu körülírt (indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory) · nl uitvoerig (expressed in more words than are necessary)